


Rest

by TheIndifferentDroid



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, canonverse, eruri - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-31 08:29:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21130313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIndifferentDroid/pseuds/TheIndifferentDroid
Summary: On the quiet bank of a river, Levi remembers his vow.





	Rest

**Author's Note:**

> Please mind the tags. 
> 
> This takes place post-chapter 115.
> 
> Huge thanks to [shinysylver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinysylver/pseuds/shinysylver) for the last minute beta reading services, and super special thanks to [Sica](https://twitter.com/DarthSiCA) who gave me color-coded feedback and was the first victim of this fic bright and early on a Monday morning.

Levi’s back hits the ground with a heavy thud, grass and rocks scraping across his body, through his clothes, as he’s briefly dragged along the ground. But he can breathe again. He doesn’t feel like he’s suffocating anymore, like he’s drowning.

He’s strangely warm. Levi’s skin feels cold—wet and cold—but his insides are just this side of hot, almost feverish. He can’t feel all of his extremities, but he knows they must hurt, the heat in his bones numbing it.

And it’s so… dark. He doesn’t remember much, but he knows it was daytime. He knows it was raining. But now… it’s dark. Especially to Levi’s right. Like someone’s standing over him. He had heard Hange’s voice at some point, though it could have been hours ago. But maybe—

No, there’s movement near his feet. He can’t quite see, but he can sense it. There’s splashing and cursing and he might not be able to see, but his ears still work just fine—though they’re ringing and Levi only just noticed. It’s definitely Hange. They call his name, but he can’t be bothered to respond. 

Because, hell, Levi just wants to rest. He can’t imagine doing anything right now but lying there, not moving. It feels like every ounce of strength has been drained from him, slowly leaving his body in the blood he’s sure is escaping his veins. He wonders if this is what Erwin felt like when—

_ Erwin _ . 

The thought tugs a small smile onto Levi’s lips, though he can’t feel them. He might not be moving them at all, actually, though it does sting a bit when he thinks about it. But he’s smiling, in his mind’s eye at least.

_ Erwin _ . 

Erwin had deserved his rest. Levi knew he’d craved it, too. That’s what he told himself at least. He’d given that to Erwin, rest eternal. But maybe Levi doesn’t deserve it, maybe Levi is supposed to be here, in this hell. He’s never had the luxury of rest. Why should he start now?

However, Levi had never felt the need to rest, either. Had never wanted to. But now his weary, battle-worn bones ache with exhaustion. If he could just close his eyes—though he doubts they’re open. But if he could just stop thinking, just stop worrying about surviving just for a minute…

No. He promised him. Levi promised Erwin.  _ Erwin… _ He just has one last thing to do, and then— _ then _ —he can rest. He can’t let Erwin down. He has to—

But he did.  _ He did _ . Levi killed the Beast Titan. Well, he put the spear in his side. It wasn’t by Levi’s hand that he had blown up; Zeke had done that to himself. Funny that he’d been both the cause and resolution of Levi’s vow. He could laugh, but it hurts. It all hurts.

But that’s what happened, wasn’t it? The bastard couldn’t handle it anymore and took his own shitty life. It wasn’t ideal. Levi would have been content to slice his limbs off all day. And they had needed Zeke, too, hadn’t they? Levi would have killed him years ago if he could have. Years... Had it been that long?

But he doesn’t have to. He doesn’t have to kill him anymore, because he’s dead. The Beast… he’s in a million little pieces in a field far from here. And Levi…

It’s dark, again. Warmer now, still. Quiet, even, except for the ringing in Levi’s head, ringing with words instead of an echo of a blast.

_ I did it, Erwin. Just like I promised. I did it. _

And, finally, Levi rests.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for suffering with me.
> 
> I'm on tumblr as [huxandthehound](https://huxandthehound.tumblr.com/) and twitter @[NonchalantDroid](https://twitter.com/nonchalantdroid). Come say hi.


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